What will you (or did you) do for your 50th birthday?

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts have made a commitment to plant 10 million trees worldwide in recognition of the company’s 50th birthday.

According to Kathleen Taylor, Four Seasons president and CEO, trees symbolically represent longevity, growth, and life, all of which are reflected in the iconic Four Seasons logo. She sees the Four Seasons 50th birthday pledge to plant 10 Million Trees worldwide as a commitment that “will have a lasting and positive impact for generations to come.”

Four Seasons Resorts are Global and Distinctive

The types of trees planted as part of the initiative have varied greatly from one Four Seasons resort location to another. For example, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka‘upulehu on Hawaii Island has partnered with Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods to plant up to 500,000 “legacy” koa trees. These trees will never be harvested and will live and grow on 2700 acres of sustainable forest that was once home to the koa forest of King Kamehameha I.

Employees from the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui planted coconut trees at their resort. At the Regent Singapore, Four seasons employees planted a golden rain tree, while employees at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh planted a tree in the Thumama Desert. So far, over 35,000 Four Seasons employees in 34 countries have participated to help meet this goal.

Why Trees Matter at Our Timeshare Resorts, Fractionals, and in Our Lives

Four Seasons recognizes that beyond their beauty, and services as a home and habitat to birds and wildlife, trees are critical to our environment.

Research from Trees Ontario helps show us how very important trees are:

• Trees act as a “carbon sink,” removing the carbon from our environment, storing it as cellulose in their trunk, branches, leaves and roots, and releasing oxygen back into the air.
• Every year, an acre of trees has the capacity to absorb 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide, which is roughly the same amount that a car produces when driven 26,000 miles.
• Shade from trees reduces air conditioning use by up to 30 percent when trees are planted near homes and buildings.

As co-habitants of Planet Earth, maintaining and restoring our environment is a responsibility we all share. Thank you, Four Seasons Resorts for 10 million trees returned to our environment.

To learn more about Four Seasons 10 Million Trees Initiative, visit: http://livingvalues.fourseasons.com/2011/04/18/10milliontrees/

And to learn more about enjoying great vacations and spa holidays at a Four Seasons Resort or Four Seasons Fractional, visit these links:

• Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara
• Four Seasons Punta Mita Villas
• Four Seasons Residence Club Scottsdale At Troon North
• Four Seasons Residence Club Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo

Happy Labor Day Weekend! The Timeshare Authority blog hopes you are enjoying a “labor-free” Labor Day holiday.

Writing today’s blog post was a bit like writing a back-to-school essay titled, “What I Did on My Summer Vacation,” except, we’d have to call this, “What Everyone Did on Their Vacation.”

Last week we published the new Hot 100 Timeshare Resales report and the Hot 100 Timeshare Rentals report.

These reports list for you the top 100 timeshare resales and the top 100 timeshare rentals to receive offers to buy or rent at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services. The lists provide you a true overview of how consumers are allocating their vacation accommodations dollars.

Download these two free reports and study them for yourself. Among the trends and vacations patterns you will observe is this information about the top 20 most in-demand timeshare rentals:

1. Included in the top 20 timeshare rentals are 8 Marriott Vacation Club International resorts: Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club; Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club; Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas; Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club; Marriott’s OceanWatch Villas at Grande Dunes; Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club; Marriott’s Aruba Ocean Club; and Marriott’s Grande Vista
2. In addition to the three Marriott Hawaii timeshares listed above, two other Hawaii timeshares ranked among the top 20 rental destinations: Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas and Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North
3. Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake’s West Village; Disney’s Beach Club Villas and Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort are the three Orlando timeshares on the hot properties rental list.
4. Three Mexico timeshares made the list of most in-demand timeshare rentals: Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallarta; Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach and Palace Resorts at Moon Palace Golf and Spa
5. The remaining four timeshare resorts among the top 20 are the Manhattan Club; the Ocean Beach Club – Virginia Beach and Harborside Resort at Atlantis along Harborside Resort at Atlantis II

Find out more here:

Timeshare Resales http://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/pdf/HOT-TIMESHARE-RESALES-2011.pdf

Timeshare Rentals http://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/pdf/HOT-TIMESHARE-RENTALS-2011.pdf

After a long hot summer of economic turbulence and a long hard week in which the eastern seaboard, from the Caribbean to Canada, has dealt with earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding, this Labor Day weekend holiday comes as a welcome respite to many.

As we head into this last traditional weekend of summer, it’s a good time to look at the top timeshare resales and top timeshare rentals in demand with consumers. These resorts that made this list are timeshares that consumers have made popular with their offers to buy or rent as timeshare resales here at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services.

HOT 100 Timeshare Resales and HOT 100 Timeshare Rentals

Download your free copy of the Hot 100 Timeshare Resales Report

Download your free copy of the Hot 100 Timeshare Rentals Report

Who made the top 10 on the Hot 100 Timeshare Resales Report?

1. WorldMark by Wyndham – Multi-Destination
2. Grandview at Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada
3. Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club –  Maui Hawaii
4. Paradise Village Beach Resort & Spa - Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico
5. Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas – Maui, Hawaii
6. Marriott’s Grande Vista – Orlando, Florida
7. Manhattan Club - Manhattan, New York
8. Ocean Beach Club – Virginia Beach,  Virginia
9. Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club – Oahu, Hawaii
10. Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort- Orlando, Florida

Click the image to download the report.

Who made the top 10 on the Hot 100 Timeshare Rentals Report?

1. Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club – Palm Beach, Aruba
2. Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club - Oahu, Hawaii
3. Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas – Maui, Hawaii
4. Harborside Resort at Atlantis – Nassau, Bahamas
5. Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas – Newport Coast, California
6. Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club –  Maui Hawaii
7. Marriott’s Ocean Watch Villas at Grande Dunes – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
8. Manhattan Club - Manhattan, New York
9. Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake’s West Village – Orlando, Florida
10. Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort- Orlando, Florida

Click the image to download the report

Over the next few days we will look at these resorts and I’ll share more information with you about the current trends we are seeing in timeshare resales and rentals.

Moving up five places since 2010, Mexico’s meeting and incentive business market is now ranked 22nd in the world according to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).

As Mexico continues to invest in business travel and tourism growth, its efforts are clearly paying off, marked by the impressive 31 percent gain the country saw in the number of events held there in 2010 versus 2009.

Mexico is Serious about Tourism

By the first quarter of this year, Mexico had already spent over $900 million (US) on tourism projects. The investments represent a 127 percent increase from 2010.

Gloria Guevara Manzo, Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, explains, “Destinations and entities continue to invest in infrastructure, equipment and services. But Mexico has much more to offer. In order to continue our competitiveness, we will also promote less well-known destinations that can be of interest for international conventions.”

Manzon adds, “And international convention planners have clearly taken notice. In 2010, Mexico was host to 140 international conventions, many of them taking place in Mexico City.”

Timeshare Event Already Scheduled for Mexico 2012

As meetings and conventions are planned for Mexico 2012, the timeshare industry is already on the schedule with Perspective Magazine’s GNEX 2012 scheduled for January 31 through Feb 2, 2012 at the Ritz Carlton Cancun, Mexico.

Mexico is not only a wonderful destination for a timeshare vacation, but with Cancun and Riviera Maya offering one of the highest concentrations of timeshare and fractional ownership resorts in the world, Mexico timeshare is an important component of the global timeshare market.

Watch this video as Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara Manzo, discusses the safety of Mexico travel.

Last summer, two Mexico timeshare resorts dealt with what appeared to be cases of Legionnaires disease. Several cases, all since confirmed as Legionnaires disease, were diagnosed in tourists from the US or the Netherlands, who were guests at the Regency Club Vacation Resort or the Wyndham Cozumel Resort & Spa (formerly Reef Club Cozumel).

According to the US State Department’s Overseas Security Advisory Council, nine cases of Legionnaires disease have been confirmed since May 2008 among tourists at these resorts. A public health investigation in April 2010, recommended disinfection of the resort’s shared potable water system. Although this was done, in December 2010, the CDC was notified of a ninth case of the disease that was believed to have originated at the resort.

Typically, the source of exposure for contracting Legionnaires disease is by breathing in contaminated mist or vapor such as from a showerhead, spray mister, or hot tub; the disease is not spread directly person to person. In the US every year, between 8,000 and 18,000 people are hospitalized with the bacteria infection. Because it begins as a lung infection, persons most at risk of developing Legionnaires are the elderly, smokers, people with chronic lung conditions, or otherwise compromised immune systems. A milder version of the disease, caused by the same bacteria, is called Pontiac fever.

For more information about Legionella, go to the: CDC’s Legionellosis Resource Site.

It is important to note that risk of contracting the disease is low as indicated by how few cases actually develop, and that cases of Legionnaires have not been linked to any other Mexico timeshare resorts or Cozumel timeshare resorts.

Renovation of the Kid’s Club at the Viva Wyndham Maya Resort and Viva Vacation Club at Viva Wyndham Maya is now complete and ready to make your family’s Mexico timeshare vacation even more memorable.

Starting with the newly repainted Kid’s Club exterior, the amenity also has new signage, a private pool for kids and a fenced outdoor play yard. Inside, young vacationers will find new kid friendly bathrooms, new décor and kid friendly furnishing, an updated kitchen, lockers and updated technology including a 50-inch flat screen TV and a DVD player. There’s even a nap area with tiny beds, perfect for anyone 3 feet tall or shorter.

The Viva Wyndham Kid’s Club is now open daily from 7 AM to 10 PM, making it easier for parents to enjoy sightseeing, a grown-up dinner, or other activities that are geared more for their interests than for those of their children. While family vacations are all about ‘family’ it can still be nice for many moms and dads to work in a little time that allows them a vacation from the family vacation. Knowing that children are safe, well supervised and having fun in a Wyndham Kid’s Club also allows parents to enjoy activities with older children or teens, which might be inappropriate or uninteresting to the little ones. Young vacationers, ages 4 -12 can take part in games, activities, talent shows, organized sports, even quite time like painting and sandcastle building. Wyndham Resorts and Wyndham timeshare consider their Kid’s Club facilities to be one of the ways the company demonstrates its commitment to unforgettable family vacation experiences.

The Viva Wyndham Maya Resort is a popular all-inclusive destination located in Playa del Carmen, a small beach town opposite the coast of Cozumel, Mexico. The resort is known for sailing, snorkeling, windsurfing, and its luxurious Renova Spa.

Earlier this week The Timeshare Authority blog updated readers on the Festiva Resorts photo and story contest (Festiva Timeshare Owners Can Win a One-Week Festiva Vacation) in which Festiva timeshare owners can win a week of Festiva timeshare as well as vacation cash prize money.

Now Barceló Hotels & Resorts, in conjunction with Kodak’s Event Imaging Solutions Group and its operational partner Smile Market, is offering a different photo opportunity, providing guests a unique way to preserve their vacation memories from their stay at the all-inclusive Barceló Maya Beach Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Photographers, trained by Kodak, are strategically positioned throughout the resort ready to capture all the smiling moments of your Mexico timeshare vacation. Then, by using an expressly created website, resort guests can select which photos to download and purchase, and can also buy photo-imprinted t-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads, calendars, and other personalized gift items.

Ana Chávez, marketing and advertising manager for Barceló Hotels & Resorts in Mexico explains, “Particularly as an all-inclusive hotelier, we want our guests to feel as if they do not have a care in the world. We want our guests to truly enjoy their vacations to the maximum potential and be completely stress-free throughout their stay. This image capturing solution allows Barceló guests to just have fun and leave the memory-saving up to us.”

To learn more, visit: http://www.mybarceloexperience.com.
And enjoy this video, which takes you through some of the sights and pleasures of a Mexico timeshare vacation.

Katharine McPhee, runner up in Season 5 of American Idol, says her favorite places to relax are Cabo San Lucas, Mexico timeshares. Her heavy-duty travel schedule keeps her in and out of hotels, many of which this self-professed “clean freak” says she re-cleans herself because they do not meet her standards. Explaining that she always removes the spreads and blankets and relegate them to the closet, McPhee adds that she sometimes uses the hotel towels to cover a dirty floor or carpet.

It seems, however, that timeshares suit the singing star much better. In an article published by ShowbizSpy, McPhee says her favorite resort destination is, “Cabo (San Lucas, Mexico) because it’s two hours from my home in Los Angeles and you feel like you are in a different world. It’s quick and easy and I love the restaurants. My family has a timeshare so I try and get down there at least once per year.”

“Lying on the beach or sitting by the pool is so amazing. Every once in a while I will rent jet skis. There is nothing quite like jet skiing on the open ocean.”

Katharine is not alone in her love of Mexico timeshares; many vacationers believe them to be some of the most beautiful resorts in the world. And you have it straight from a clean freak that although many hotels fail to live up to her standards, her favorite Mexico timeshare is an ideal place to vacation and relax.

Follow this link to learn more about Cabo San Lucas timeshares and Cabo San Lucas timeshare resales or rentals.

Timeshare exchange company, Trading Places International was recently named one of the top 75 companies in Orange County (California) on the Orange County Register’s Top Workplaces for 2009 List.

“We’ve always been conscious of the fact that our employees seem to enjoy working for us, and our goal has always been to create an atmosphere in which we can strike a balance between working hard and having fun.” says RJ Jackson, president of Trading Places International timeshare company and timeshare exchange. “It is very gratifying to discover, through the results of the employee survey, that we have indeed succeeded in that goal.”

Trading Places International has been in the travel, vacation ownership, and timeshare exchange industries for more than thirty-five years. The company has over 71,000 timeshare owner members at more than thirty timeshare resort locations, including South America timeshares, Mexico timeshares, United States timeshares (mainland), and Hawaii timeshares.

Trading Places International, which boasts a 95 percent confirmed timeshare exchange request rate, is a preferred partner of Sell My Timeshare NOW. Timeshare owner benefits of timeshare exchange with Trading Places include:

• No mandatory membership fee
• Low exchange fees
• Search available inventory before depositing your timeshare week
• Online exchange services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Additional discounts and perks for Trading Places’ Vacation Exchange Club members

All of the companies that made the OC Register‘s Top Workplaces List were selected based on a survey involving 31, 311 employees at 121 companies across the county. The survey addressed compensation and training, company leadership, workplace flexibility, and diversity.

Click here to read a Q & A about Trading Places International timeshare company:
Trading Places International: The perks of being a small business

Perspective Magazine, a timeshare sales industry publication, will begin launching regional editions early in 2010, publishing a split regional title starting with the North American edition scheduled for launch in February.

According to Paul Mattimoe, CEO of Perspective International, parent company of the publication, the US, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean make up a dominant readership market. And when you think about the number of US timeshares, Mexico timeshares, Canada timeshares, and Caribbean timeshares, it makes sense that a targeted publication should be very popular.

Appeal for Today’s Timeshare Owner

The launch of Perspective Magazine North America will be well timed for distribution at American Resort Development Association Convention and Expo (ARDA timeshare convention) in Las Vegas in March.

Perspective Magazine has covered a great deal of ground since it first went to press four years ago and was then joined two years later by the companion publication, Owners Perspective. Both publications reflect new trends and new directions in the timeshare sales and timeshare resales industries with beautiful photos, elegant visual style, and informative and insightful articles.

The new North American version plans to launch with more than 12,000 print and online subscribers in place. You can find out more at: www.perspectiverates.com or by calling +1 407 792 2343 for calls from the USA.